Miniature horses and foals

Miniature horses are found all over the world and come in various colors and coat patterns. The designation of miniature horse is determined by the height of the animal, which, depending on the particular registry involved, is usually less than 34-38 inches (82-91 cm) as measured at the withers.^[1][2] While miniature horses are the size of a very small pony, many retain horse characteristics and are considered "horses" by their respective registries. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 791 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1058 × 802 pixel, file size: 770 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Mini-pôneis Autor: José Reynaldo da Fonseca File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 791 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1058 × 802 pixel, file size: 770 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Mini-pôneis Autor: José Reynaldo da Fonseca File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The withers is the highest point on an animals back, on the ridge between its shoulder blades. ... A Shetland Pony A pony is any of several horse breeds with a specific conformation and temperament. ...

Miniature horses are friendly and interact well with people. For this reason they are often kept as family pets, though they still retain natural horse behavior and must be treated like an equine, even if they primarily serve as a companion animal. They are also trained as service animals, akin to guide dogs or assistance dogs for people with disabilities.^[3] While miniature horses can be trained to work indoors, they are still real horses and are healthier when allowed to live outdoors (with proper shelter and room to run) when not working with humans.^[4] Horse behavior is best understood from the perspective that horses are prey animals with a well-developed fight-or-flight instinct. ... PET, see PET. A pet or companion animal is an animal that is kept by humans for companionship and enjoyment, rather than for economic reasons. ... A blind man is led by his guide dog in Brasília, Brazil. ... An assistance dog is a dog trained to help a person with a disability. ...

They are generally quite hardy, often living longer on average than some full-sized horse breeds; the average life span of miniature horses is from 25 to 35 years.^[5]

Organizations and registration requirements

A miniature horse working as a service animal

There are two registries in the United States for Miniature Horses, the American Miniature Horse Association (AMHA) and the American Miniature Horse Registry (AMHR). Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1200 × 1600 pixel, file size: 279 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1200 × 1600 pixel, file size: 279 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...

The AMHA was founded in 1978 and was dedicated to establishing the Miniature horse as a distinct breed of horse.^[6][1] The AMHR is a division of the American Shetland pony Club and was established as a separate registry in 1972.^[7] In the AMHA, Miniatures cannot exceed 34 inches at the withers (which the AMHA defines as located at the last hair of the mane). There are two divisions in AMHR - the "A" division for horses 34 inches (82 cm) and under, and the "B" division for horses 34 to 38 inches (82 - 91 cm).^[2] The Shetland pony is a breed of pony (a type of small horse) that is very strong for its size. ... The withers is the highest point on an animals back, on the ridge between its shoulder blades. ...

Worldwide, there are dozens of miniature horse registries. Some organizations emphasize breeding of miniatures with horse characteristics, others encourage minis to retain pony characteristics.^[8]

The AMHA standard suggests that if a person were to see a photograph of a miniature horse, without any size reference, it would be identical in characteristics, conformation, and proportion to a full-sized horse.^[1]

According to the AMHR, a "Miniature should be a small, sound, well-balanced horse and should give the impression of strength, agility and alertness. A Miniature should be eager and friendly but not skittish in disposition."^[7]

Showing miniature horses

There are many horse show opportunities offered by registries and show sanctioning organizations worldwide. Some classes include: Halter (horse conformation), in-hand hunter and jumper, driving, liberty, costume, and obstacle or trail classes, and showmanship. There are Local, Regional, National, and "World" competitions. A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. ... A horse being shown at halter Halter is a term used to describe a type of horse show class where horses are shown in hand, meaning that they are led, not ridden, and are judged on their conformation and suitability as breeding stock. ... See Equine conformation ... A Welsh Cob in harness Driving, when applied to horses, Ponies, mules, or donkeys, is a broad term for hitching equines to a wagon, carriage, cart, sleigh, or other conveyance by means of a harness and working them in this form. ... Trail is a competitive class at horse shows where horses and riders in western-style attire and horse tack navigate a series of obstacles. ... A competitor showing her Arabian in a 4-H showmanship class. ...

History

Pinto-colored Miniature Mare

Miniature horses were developed from multiple sources. Many different pony breeds were bred for small size, including the Shetland pony and the Dartmoor pony. There may also have been an infusion of bloodlines from certain breeds of full-sized horses.^[9] Image File history File links Blueklhs. ... Image File history File links Blueklhs. ... The Shetland pony is a breed of pony (a type of small horse) that is very strong for its size. ... The Dartmoor pony roams wild in Dartmoor National Park, Devon, in the United Kingdom. ...

In the 17th century, miniature horses were bred as pets for Europe's Hapsburg nobility. Records from the court of the French King Louis XIV, circa 1650, note the presence of tiny horses among the exotic creatures in the king's zoo. Paintings and articles featured the miniature horse by 1765. In England, Lady Estella Hope and her sisters carried on a breeding program from original English lines into the mid-nineteen hundreds. However, not all early miniatures were pampered pets of kings and queens. Some were used to work in the English Midlands, Wales and Northern European coal mines as pit ponies.^[10] (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Habsburg (sometimes spelled Hapsburg, but never so in official use) was one of the major ruling houses of Europe. ... Louis XIV King of France and Navarre By Hyacinthe Rigaud (1701) Louis XIV (Louis-Dieudonné) (September 5, 1638–September 1, 1715) reigned as King of France and King of Navarre from May 14, 1643 until his death. ... Year 1765 (MDCCLXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... The midlands of a territory are its central regions. ... This article is about the country. ... Northern Europe Northern Europe is the northern part of the European continent. ... A pit pony was a type of pony commonly used in coal mines up until the mid 20th century. ...

In the United States, the miniature horse breed was refined during the 20th century. Miniature horses in the USA added additional lines from sources that included the Hackney Pony and the Pony of the Americas. Breed History The Hackney Pony was developed by primarily one man, Christopher Wilson. ... The Pony of the Americas, or the POA, was developed to be a children’s mount. ...

The Falabella miniature horse was originally developed in Argentina in 1868 by Patrick Newell. When Newell died, the herd and breeding methods were passed to Newell's son-in-law, Juan Falabella. Juan added additional bloodlines including the Welsh Pony, Shetland pony, and small Thoroughbreds. With considerable inbreeding he was able to gain consistently small size within the herd. The Falabella horse is the smallest breed of horse in the world, reaching around 30 inches in size. ... Year 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Patrick Newell (March 27, 1932 - July 22, 1988) was a British actor known for his large size. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Shetland pony is a breed of pony (a type of small horse) that is very strong for its size. ... The Thoroughbred is a horse breed developed in 18th century England when English mares were bred with imported Arabian stallions to create a distance racer. ...

South Africa's Miniature Horses were developed in that nation and are known as the South African Miniature Horses, a recognized breed in its own right. Mr. Wynand de Wet of Lindley, South Africa, started in 1945 with two Shetland mares and a stallion. Through strict selection, their offspring became smaller and in 1991 Mr. de Wet bred a mare that was only 66cm tall.^[11]

In popular culture

• A Miniature Horse named Mini Horse is featured as one of the main characters on the popular MTV show "Rob & Big".

Controversies

Horse or Pony?

There is an ongoing debate over whether a miniature horse should possess horse or pony characteristics. This is a common controversy within the miniature horse world and also is a hot debate between mini aficionados and other horse and pony breed owners. While technically any member of equus caballus under 14.2 hands is termed a "pony," many breeds, including some miniature breeds, actually retain a horse phenotype and their breed registry therefore classifies them as horses. Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ... A Shetland Pony A pony is any of several horse breeds with a specific conformation and temperament. ... horse, see Horse (disambiguation). ... A hand (or handbreadth) is a unit of length measurement, usually based on the breadth of a male human hand and thus around 1 dm, i. ... Individuals in the mollusk species Donax variabilis show diverse coloration and patterning in their phenotypes. ... A breed registry, also known as a stud book or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. ...

Some miniature horse breed standards prefer pony characteristics such as short, stout legs and elongated torsos, while others prefer ordinary horse proportions.^[12] Even the name is in dispute, terms such as "Midget Pony" and "Pygmy Horse" used in addition to "Miniature horse" and breed-specific names such as Falabella. The level of controversy is reflected by the presence of over 30 different registries for miniaturized horses or ponies just within the English-speaking world.^[13] The Falabella horse is the smallest breed of horse in the world, reaching around 30 inches in size. ...

Dwarfism

Dwarfism is a concern within the miniature horse world.^[14] Dwarf horses, while often setting world records for size, are not generally considered to have desirable traits, generally have incorrect conformation, and may have significant health and soundness issues.^{[15] [16][17]} Therefore, many miniature horse registries try to avoid accepting minis affected by dwarfism for breeding stock registration.^[18] This article is about the medical condition. ... See Equine conformation ...

The oldest living horse on record was a dwarf named Angel who lived with the Horse Protection Society of North Carolina, who lived to be over 50.^[5] The current record holder for the world's smallest horse is also a horse affected by dwarfism, Thumbelina, who is fully mature but stands 17 inches tall and weighs 60 pounds. Though she has received considerable publicity, her owners have publicly stated that she will not be bred.^[19] Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Largest metro area Charlotte metro area Area  Ranked 28th  - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²)  - Width 150 miles (240 km)  - Length 560[1] miles (900 km)  - % water 9. ... Thumbelina is the worlds smallest horse [1]. She stands 17 inches tall and weighs 60 pounds, and officially received the title of worlds smallest from the Guinness Book of World Records[2]. Like many dwarf animals, Thumbelina is stout and possesses short limbs [3]. <img src=http://elliottback. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} American Miniature Horse Association
2. ^ ^{a b} American Miniature Horse Registry
3. ^ Guide Horse Foundation
4. ^ "Horses in your house," web site, accessed January 17, 2007
5. ^ ^{a b} "Miniature Horse Facts"
6. ^ "The History of Miniature Horses and Ponies." Web site, accessed January 17, 2007
7. ^ ^{a b} "Unique -- Interesting -- A Class All of lts Own," The Journal of The American Shetland Pony Club Accessed January 17, 2007
8. ^ "The Top 20 Miniature Horse Registries," web site, accessed January 17, 2007
9. ^ "Mini Horse Breeds" Accessed January 17, 2007
10. ^ http://www.imh.org/museum/breeds.php?pageid=8&breed=4&alpha=One "American Miniature Horse"] from Internatonal Museum of the Horse, Kentucky Horse Park. Web page accessed September 2, 2007
11. ^ "South African Miniature Horse History." Web site accessed March 18, 2007
12. ^ Mini Horse History
13. ^ List of Miniature Horse Registries
14. ^ "Dwarfism in Miniature Horses"
15. ^ "Dwarf Miniature Horses." Web site accessed March 18, 2007
16. ^ "Dwarf information"
17. ^ "Dwarf miniature horse health care"
18. ^ Ashby, Barbara. "Dwarfism in Miniature Horses." Miniature Horse World, , p. 37-39 June/July issue, publication year unclear, web page accessed September 2, 2007.
19. ^ "Meet Thumbelina, the World's Smallest Horse," Daily Mail, October 8, 2006

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Miniature horse

• American Miniature Horse Association
• American Miniature Horse Registry
• Miniature Horse Information Center
• The Miniature Horse Informational Guide
• Guide Horse Foundation
• International Museum of the Horse